Thursday, May 25, 2006

This story is not about current problems of the media; it's all about Harper.

Stephen Harper has a problem with the media. He tells us the media is biased, but I don't think that's the case; if the National Media was really all that biased he probably would never have in office. The issue is actually quite simple: he wants the media to report what he has to tell them. And please, no questions.

It brings me back to the interview Bill Clinton gave (video) at Democracy Now! (DN!) on election day 2000. Clinton, a Democrat, is also not used to tough questioning by (one of my favourite) journalists {Amy Goodman) which resulted in a hostile reaction:

"Now you listen to me. You ask the questions, and I'm going to answer. You have asked questions in a hostile, combatitive and even disrespectful tone [...], and you have never been able to combat the facts that I have given you."

After this show DN! got a phone call from the White House press office (US version of the PMO):

"[Clinton] called to discuss getting out the vote, and you strayed from the topic. You also kept him much longer than the two to three minutes we agreed to."

Amy Goodman replied:

"President Clinton is the most powerful man in the world, he can hang up when he wants to."

This example describes my position well. Harper does not need to answer all questions in the most detailed way; he can answer them the way he wants, even walk off when the questions become too hostile. If he's not up to dealing with the National Media, he should consider getting an easier job.